Engineering students enjoy dual medal success

In a double triumph, Glasgow Caledonian University's engineering innovations have earned recognition at the prestigious Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal awards for the 22/23 season.

The Hydro Paddle 2.0 and Flat-Packed Wind Turbine prototypes have both clinched this coveted honour.

The judging panel, featuring an illustrious line-up of industry experts such as Allan Cooke from High Value Marketing Catapult; Jon Stanton, the CEO of Weir Group; Dame Dawn Childs, CEO of Pure Data Centers; Nike Folayan, Technical Director at WSP; and Phil Osborne, Chairman of the Royal Airforce Charitable Trust, undertook the meticulous task of evaluating numerous submissions. They assessed each entry and assigned initial grading scores before coming together for a virtual judging event where the eventual medallists were decided upon.

Both the Hydro Paddle 2.0 (silver medal) and Flat-Packed Wind Turbine (gold medal) prototypes impressed the judges with their groundbreaking engineering concepts and potential for real-world impact. These accolades are a testament to Glasgow Caledonian University's commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in engineering.

The Hydro-Paddle is an innovative hydro turbine designed to harness excess rainwater from house gutters for electricity generation. It comprises essential components such as a turbine, guide vanes, generator, battery, attachment for pipe placement, and a rainwater collection device. Subsequently, the Hydro-Paddle was 3D-printed and rigorously tested in a laboratory setting to ensure its functionality and efficiency.

Meanwhile, the portable wind turbine, invented by Douglas Macartney when he was a pupil at Royal High in Edinburgh, has been developed by several teams of undergraduate engineers from Glasgow Caledonian, working over several years to create a viable prototype – including the addition of two solar panels.

The original concept was inspired by a flat-pack refugee shelter created by Swedish furniture giant Ikea. It’s hoped the turbine may one day be mass-produced to generate electricity for refugee camps where there is no access to a power source for cooking and lighting. The device, which can be assembled without any specialist training, could also be used to help areas recovering from natural disasters and in rural settlements far from grid connection.

Primary Engineer MacRobert Medals were presented in three categories: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The Glasgow Caledonian projects received theirs at an awards event on November 7, at the IMechE, One Birdcage Walk, London.

Dr Andrew Cowell, who supervised both projects, said: “This remarkable dual achievement by our students underscores the institution's dedication to pushing the boundaries of engineering innovation and its unwavering commitment to shaping a sustainable future through groundbreaking prototypes such as the Hydro Paddle 2.0 and Flat-Packed Wind Turbine. We look forward to celebrating these exceptional accomplishments at the upcoming awards event.”

Patricia Munoz de Escalona co-supervised the projects.

The Flat-Pack Wind Turbine team is: Jamie Whitehead, MEng Mechanical Systems Engineering; Rebekah Edgar Eng Mechanical Systems Engineering; Adam Friend, MEng Computer Aided Mechanical Engineering; Scott McCulloch, MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

The Hydro Paddle 2.0 team is: Adam Carlyle, Computer Aided Mechanical Engineering; Ronan McDowall, Electrical Power Engineering; Louis Saez, Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Mollie Reid, Mechanical Electronic Systems; Roel Doloiras, Mechanical Electronic Systems; Jessica McCreath, Computer Aided Mechanical Engineering, Matthew O’Hagan, Mechanical Electronic Systems; Matthew Duguid, Computer Aided Mechanical Engineering.